This is the famous pie that the Ruritan Club sells at the West Tennessee State Fair every year.

2¼ cups sweet milk

1 cup sugar

½ cup flour or ¼ cup cornstarch

3 egg yolks, well beaten

Pinch of salt

Mix all ingredients and cook until thick, stirring constantly, and be careful not to let it burn. When thickened, add 1 tbsp. butter, 1 tsp. vanilla and 1 cup coconut. Pour into a baked pie crust; top with meringue and brown in a 350-degree oven.

NOTE: I add 3 tbsp. cocoa to the above five ingredients for chocolate pie. Also, I use this as the pudding mixture for banana pudding except I do not cook as thick; then I pour this over layered vanilla wafers and bananas.

Meringue:

3 egg whites

1 tsp. lemon juice

6 tbsp. sugar

Beat egg whites with lemon juice; gradually add sugar, beating until stiff peaks form and all the sugar has dissolved. Top your pie and brown in a 350 degree oven.

— Linda Dodson, district governor, Ruritan Club, Browns Community

Pie Crust

2 cups all-purpose flour

Dash salt

2/3 cup butter Crisco

7 tbsp. tap water

Mix flour and salt in medium bowl. Cut in shortening, using pastry blender (or pulling two table knives through ingredients in opposite directions), until particles are the size of small peas. Sprinkle with water, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with a fork until all flour is moistened and the pastry almost leaves the side of the bowl (1 to 2 teaspoons more water can be added if needed.)

Gather pastry into a ball. Shape into flattened round on lightly floured surface. Wrap flattened round of pastry in plastic wrap and refrigerate about 45 minutes or until the dough is firm and cold, yet pliable. This allows the shortening to become slightly firm, which helps make the baked pastry flakier. If refrigerated longer, let the pastry soften slightly before rolling.

Roll pastry, using floured rolling pin, into a circle 2 inches larger than an upside-down 9-inch glass pie plate. Fold pastry into fourths; place in pie plate. Unfold and ease into plate, pressing firmly against bottom and side.

Trim overhanging edge of crust 1 inch from rim of pie plate. Fold and roll crust under, even with plate; flute as desired. Prick bottom and side of pastry thoroughly with fork. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly brown in a 475-degree oven; cool on wire rack.

— Linda Dodson, district governor, Ruritan Club, Browns Community

Chocolate Titanic

1 box chocolate cake mix

1 (4-ounce) chocolate pudding

4 eggs

½ cup oil

1 cup sour cream

1 (12-ounce) package chocolate chips

½-2/3 cups water

Mix all ingredients together in mixer. Bake in a greased Bundt pan at 325 degrees about an hour or until done.

— Page Jackson, incoming president of Browns Ruritan Club

Lemon Chess Pie

3 eggs

1½ cup sugar

¼ pound butter, melted

¼ cup sweet milk

1½ tbsp. flour

1½ tbsp. cornmeal

1 lemon, grated rind and squeezed juice

Place all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Bake in an unbaked 9-inch pastry shell for 45 minutes at 350 degrees.

— Page Jackson, incoming president of Browns Ruritan Club

Sweet Tea and Lemonade Cake

Two of the South's best flavors make this cake a keeper. I guess the next time someone gives me lemons, I'll make another one of these cakes. I found this recipe in Southern Living and have loved it ever since.

1½ cups boiling water

3 family-size tea bags

1 cup butter, softened

2 cups granulated sugar

½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar

5 large eggs, at room temperature

3½ cups cake flour

2 tsp. baking powder

¾ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. baking soda

Grease (with shortening) and flour a 13-by-9-inch pan. Pour boiling water over tea bags in a glass bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, and steep 10 minutes. Remove tea bags from liquid, and squeeze against side of bowl; discard tea bags. Allow tea to cool completely.

Beat butter in a separate large bowl at medium speed until creamy. Gradually add sugars, beating until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition. Whisk together cake flour and the next 3 ingredients; add to butter mixture alternately with 1 cup tea, beginning and ending with flour mixture. (Discard any remaining tea.) Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition. Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake in a 350-degree preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until done. Cool completely on a wire rack (about 20 minutes). Spread Lemonade Frosting on cake.

Lemonade Frosting:

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened

¼ cup butter, softened

6 cups powdered sugar

1 tbsp. lemon zest

3 tbsp. fresh squeezed lemon juice

Beat cream cheese and butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating at low speed until blended after each addition. Beat in lemon zest and lemon juice just until blended. Increase speed to high, and beat until light and fluffy.

— Carol Ann Watson of Browns Community

Chocolate Pie

1½ cups sugar

4 tbsp. flour

3 egg yolks

1½ cup milk

2 tbsp. cocoa

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. butter

Mix flour, sugar, cocoa, milk, lightly beaten egg yolks and butter. Cook until thick. Remove from fire and add vanilla. Pour into baked cool pie crust. This also may be cooked in microwave. Cook on high 2 minutes, then stir. Return to microwave for 1 minute, then continue stirring until desired consistency is reached. Top with your favorite meringue and place in a 350-oven until golden brown or serve with a dollop of whipped cream.

— Pat Woolfolk of Browns Community

4-H BBQ Chicken and Sauce

Chicken

For the sauce:

1 cup vinegar

1 tbsp. salt

1/3 cup Wesson oil

2 tsp. Tabasco sauce

1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

Pinch of garlic salt

Cut chicken in half and place over low heat on the grill. Cook slowly and turn often. Baste after each turn with the sauce. By cooking slowly, chickens will be golden brown when done. To test for doneness, chicken leg will twist all the way around when done. It usually takes about 2 hours to cook a 2½ pound chicken. This recipe makes sauce for four halves.